宽带隙半导体TiO2纳米溶胶原位变温的X射线小角散射研究

对宽带隙半导体TiO₂纳米粒子水溶液,开展了原位变温SAXS研究.采用Shull-Roess方法,我们确定了TiO₂纳米粒子在水溶液中的回转半径的尺寸分布,M(R_g).结果表明,在常温25°C下,M(R_g)的极大峰位于2.3nm,对应于2.9nm的球形粒子直径,在80°C时增加到3.2nm,对应于8.2nm的球形粒子直径.这些结果有利于理解染料敏化TiO₂纳米太阳能电池的光-电子特性及其转换效率随温度的变化规律.     

Synchrotron Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering Investigation on Integral Membrane Protein Light-Harvesting Complex LH2 from Photosynthetic Bacterium Rhodopseudomonas Acidophila

Structures of membrane protein in solution are different from that in crystal phase. We present the primary results of small angle x-ray scattering （SAXS） resolved topological structures of a light harvesting antenna membrane protein complex LH2 from photosynthetic bacteria Rhodopseudomonas acidophila in detergent solution for the first time. Our results show that the elliptical shape of the LH2 complex in solution clearly deviates from its circular structure in crystal phase determined by x-ray diffraction. This result provides an insight into the structure and function interplay in LH2.     

Synchrotron small angle x-ray scattering study of dye-sensitized／-unsensitized TiO2 nanoparticle colloidal solution

The wide-gap semiconductor TiO_2 nanoparticles with and without dye sensitization have been studied by small angle x-ray scattering using synchrotron radiation. Surface properties of the colloidal TiO_2 nanoparticles have been analysed in terms of the surface fractal dimensions (D_s), showing that D_s changes from 3.25 to 2.34 when TiO_2 nanoparticles are sensitized by ATRA (all-trans-retinoic acid), which reveals that the surface of the particles become relatively smooth after dye sensitization. The size distribution of gyration radius of TiO_2 nanoparticles in the colloids M(R_g) has been successfully determined by the Shull－Roess method. The main peak of M(R_g) for the unsensitized TiO_2 colloid is located at 2.1nm, corresponding to a spherical diameter of 5.4nm, and this value for the ATRA sensitized TiO_2 increases to 2.4nm, indicating a spherical diameter of 6.4nm. Such a size enlargement of TiO_2 nanoparticles suggests that there is a coating of ATRA on the TiO_2 surface, supporting the view that a monolayer of the dye has been attached to the surface of the TiO_2 nanoparticle.